Palestinian groups in deal on pull-out

THE militant group Hamas yesterday agreed to co-operate with the Palestinian Authority in ensuring a smooth transition during the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The agreement eased concerns over the potential for violence during the operation. But Hamas rejected a demand by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that it forgo military-style victory celebrations during the pull-out, and reiterated it would not disarm.

Israeli and Palestinian officials, meanwhile, said they would set up a joint operations centre to monitor the pull-out, which is expected to take several weeks.